Tyrosine kinase activity of insulin receptors from human placenta. Effects of autophosphorylation and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase

Insulin and nitric oxide stimulates glucose transport in human placenta

The present work examines whether insulin and NO can act as regulators of glucose transport in placenta. Glucose uptake (2-deoxy D-[(3)H]glucose) was measured in the absence (control or basal values) and in the presence of insulin (1200 microU/ml) or SNP (20 microM) in isolated perfused cotyledons and tissue slices preparations of human placenta. Both insulin and NO significantly increased glucose uptake by 20 and 27 per cent, respectively. Insulin decreased the Km of glucose transport from 42.5 +/- 2.69 to 35.1 +/- 2.58 mM. The stimulatory effect of SNP was mimicked by 8-CPT-cGMP and was completely blocked by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ODQ (10 microM). ODQ and the NOS inhibitor, L-NAME (100 microM), decreased basal glucose uptake but did not affect insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Taken together, these findings indicate that insulin and NO stimulate glucose uptake in human placenta and suggest that both potential regulators of glucose transport use different signaling pathways.

Increased insulin sensitivity in Gsalpha knockout mice

The stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G(s)) is required for hormone-stimulated cAMP generation. Gnas, the gene encoding the G(s) alpha-subunit, is imprinted, and targeted disruption of this gene in mice leads to distinct phenotypes in heterozygotes depending on whether the maternal (m-/+) or paternal (+/p-) allele is mutated. Notably, m-/+ mice become obese, whereas +/p- mice are thinner than normal. In this study we show that despite these opposite changes in energy metabolism, both m-/+ and +/p- mice have greater sensitivity to insulin, with low to normal fasting glucose levels, low fasting insulin levels, improved glucose tolerance, and exaggerated hypoglycemic response to administered insulin. The combination of increased insulin sensitivity with obesity in m-/+ mice is unusual, because obesity is typically associated with insulin resistance. In skeletal muscles isolated from both m-/+ and +/p- mice, the basal rate of 2-deoxyglucose uptake was normal, whereas the rate of 2-deoxyglucose uptake in response to maximal insulin stimulation was significantly increased. The similar changes in muscle sensitivity to insulin in m-/+ and +/p- mice may reflect the fact that muscle G(s)alpha expression is reduced by approximately 50% in both groups of mice. GLUT4 expression is unaffected in muscles from +/p- mice. Increased responsiveness to insulin is therefore the result of altered insulin signaling and/or GLUT4 translocation. This is the first direct demonstration in a genetically altered in vivo model that G(s)-coupled pathways negatively regulate insulin signaling.

Na+ transport by human placental brush border membranes: are there several mechanisms?

Na+ transport was evaluated in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from the human placental villous tissue. Na+ uptake was assayed by the rapid filtration technique in the presence and the absence of an uphill pH gradient. Amiloride strongly decreased Na+ uptake whether a pH gradient was present or not. In pH gradient conditions (pH 7.5 in and 9.0 out), 1 mM amiloride decreased the 10 mM Na+ uptake by 84%. In the absence of pH gradient (pH 7.5 in and out), Na+ uptake was lower but still sensitive to amiloride. The Lineweaver-Burk plot of Na+ uptake consistently showed a single kinetics. Increasing the pH gradient decreased Km values of the amiloride-sensitive Na+ uptake, leaving the Vmax unchanged. In the absence of a pH gradient, the amiloride sensitive Na+ transport was maximal at pH 7.5. Here again, a single kinetics was observed, and pH influenced exclusively the Km of Na+. Since ethylisopropylamiloride, the specific Na/H exchanger inhibitor mimicked the effects of amiloride, decreasing by 98% the 10 mM Na+ uptake, whereas benzamil, the Na+ channel blocker, had no effect, it was concluded that the amiloride sensitive Na+ uptake was predominantly or exclusively due to a Na+-H+ exchanger activity. K+ in trans-position significantly decreased the amiloride sensitive uptake. In contrast, the presence of the cation in cis-position had no effect. The amiloride resistant Na+ transport was neither influenced by pH, nor saturable. Incubation of the placental tissue with 100 microM or 1 mM dibutyryl cAMP, 0.1 or 1 microM phorbol myristate acetate, 10(-7) M insulin, 10(-10) M angiotensin II, or 10(-8) M human parathyroid hormone (PTH) did not influence Na+ transport by subsequently prepared brush border membranes. Finally, we failed to demonstrate any Na+-H+ exchange activity in the basal plasma membrane. These results indicate that (1) in the absence of cosubstrates such as phosphate and aminoacids, the Na+-H+ exchange is probably the unique mechanism of Na+ transport by the placental brush border membrane, (2) the placental isoform of the exchanger is not regulated by PTH, angiotensin, nor insulin and, therefore, is different from the isoform present in the renal brush border membrane, and (3) there is no exchanger activity in the basal plasma membrane.

Isoproterenol inhibits insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor without increasing its serine/threonine phosphorylation

The effect of a beta-adrenergic agonist (isoproterenol) on the tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor was studied in intact adipocytes. Isoproterenol treatment rapidly (5 min) inhibited the insulin-induced autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor on tyrosine residues in intact adipocytes. The effect of insulin on the phosphorylation of cellular proteins on tyrosine residues was also inhibited by isoproterenol. In order to understand the mechanism responsible for this inhibition, two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping of the insulin receptor was performed. The pattern of phosphorylation of the insulin receptor in freshly isolated adipocytes showed marked differences from that previously observed in cultured cells overexpressing insulin receptors. These differences include a larger proportion of receptors being phosphorylated on the three tyrosines from the kinase domain and no apparent phosphorylation of the two tyrosines close to the C-terminus after insulin stimulation. Isoproterenol markedly inhibited the effect of insulin on the phosphorylation of the three tyrosines from the kinase domain. However, this inhibition was not associated with an increase in the phosphorylation of serine/threonine peptides. Thus, this direct analysis of insulin receptor phosphorylation sites in intact adipocytes does no support the idea that beta-adrenegic agents inhibit the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor through a serine/threonine phosphorylation-dependent mechanism.

Effect of glucagon on insulin receptor phosphorylation in intact liver cells

Evidence is presented that incubation of rat liver cells with glucagon leads to an increase in the phosphorylation of specific serine residues within insulin receptors, particularly in the presence of insulin. However, no changes in either the tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptors or the tyrosine kinase activity towards a synthetic peptide substrate was detected.

Quantitative dissociation of glucose transport stimulation and insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activation in isolated adipocytes with a covalent insulin dimer (B29,B29'-suberoyl-insulin)

The covalent insulin dimer B29,B29'-suberoyl-insulin was investigated for its effects on insulin receptor binding, insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity and glucose transport in isolated adipose cells. The dimer stimulated glucose transport (initial 3-O-methylglucose uptake rate) to the same extent as insulin did (basal rate, 35 +/- 3 pmol/sec/microliter lipid; insulin, 380 +/- 27; B29,B29'-suberoyl-insulin, 369 +/- 24, means +/- S.E.), although at higher concentrations (EC50 1.94 +/- 0.64 nM versus 0.1 +/- 0.02 with insulin). In contrast, the dimer only partially (23%) mimicked insulin's effect on phosphate incorporation into insulin receptors immunoprecipitated after equilibration of cells with [32P]phosphate. Similarly, insulin receptor tyrosine kinase as assessed by receptor autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of the substrate poly-(Glu/Tyr) was not fully activated by treatment of cells with the insulin dimer (31 and 42% of the effect of insulin, respectively) in concentrations which maximally activate glucose transport and give rise to full insulin receptor occupancy (5 X 10(-7) M). Further, the dimer activated the receptor tyrosine kinase in solubilized purified insulin receptor preparations from adipose cells to only 25% of the effect of insulin (EC50 32.0 +/- 16 versus 1.9 +/- 1.0 nM with insulin) in spite of full receptor occupancy. Binding of the dimer to insulin receptors followed single site binding kinetics, indicating that the derivative is unable to induce negative cooperativity of the insulin receptor. It is concluded that a partial phosphorylation of insulin receptors and a submaximal tyrosine kinase activation are sufficient for full stimulation of glucose transport in the adipocyte. Further, it is suggested that negative cooperativity of the insulin receptor and activation of its tyrosine kinase require a similar conformational change of the receptor protein.

Influence of insulin on phosphate uptake by brush border membranes from human placenta

Regulation of phosphate transport by insulin was investigated in brush border membranes from human placenta at term. At 22 degrees C, a 45 min incubation of the total tissue with 10(-6) M insulin significantly decreased both the initial rate and the peak of sodium-dependent phosphate uptake by the corresponding brush border membranes. In contrast, Na+ transport was not influenced by the hormone. Increasing the insulin concentration from 0 to 10(-5) M resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of phosphate uptake with half-maximal effect at 1.1 x 10(-9) M. The hormone decreased PO4 transport by decreasing the affinity of the carrier for the substrate (Km = 0.180 +/- 0.010 mM and 0.215 +/- 0.015 mM in absence and presence of 10(-6) M insulin respectively, P less than 0.05). The inhibitory effect of insulin required the presence of Mn2+ whereas neither Mn2+ nor insulin alone had any influence on PO4 uptake. It is therefore assumed that receptor phosphorylation, which needs the presence of Mn2+, is an intermediate step of insulin action on PO4 uptake by the subsequently isolated brush border membranes. In contrast, insulin had no effect on PO4 uptake when the membranes were directly incubated with the hormone prior to the transport measurement, suggesting that an intracellular messenger is needed for the inhibitory effect. This messenger is not cAMP since insulin at 10(-6) M concentration has no effect on cAMP content of the total placental tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The insulin receptor: structure and function

Promising progress in understanding the molecular basis of insulin action has been achieved by demonstrating that the insulin receptor is an insulin-sensitive tyrosine kinase. Here we discuss the structure of this receptor kinase and compare it with receptors for related growth factors. We review the known modes to regulate the receptor kinase activity, either through its autophosphorylation (on tyrosine residues) or through its phosphorylation by other kinases (on serine and threonine residues). We discuss the role of the receptor kinase activity in hormone signal transduction in light of results indicating a reduced kinase activity in insulin-resistant states. Finally, studies to identify natural substrates for the insulin receptor kinase are presented. The possible physiological role of these phosphorylated substrates in mediating insulin action is evaluated.

Influence of a small molecular weight proteinase inhibitor, gabexate mesilate (FOY), on insulin receptor function in vitro

The effects of the low molecular weight serine proteinase inhibitor FOY (gabexate mesilate) upon insulin action was studied in three different experimental systems. Placenta membranes containing insulin receptors preincubated with FOY (10 microM) showed a reduction of insulin-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity (p less than 0.01). However, FOY (0.1-100 microM) did not affect the insulin-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity in a preparation of solubilized and partially purified insulin receptors from placental membranes. Isolated adipocytes were used to study the effect of FOY on intact cells. FOY neither altered the insulin induced inhibition of the catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis nor (at the low concentration of 0.1 mM) the stimulation of glucose transport by the hormone. High concentrations (0.5 mM) of FOY decreased the effect of insulin on the hexose transport.

Two systems in vitro that show insulin-stimulated serine kinase activity towards the insulin receptor

Two systems in vitro are described that show insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of the insulin receptor on serine residues. In the first system, insulin receptor was purified partially from Fao rat hepatoma cells by direct solubilization of the cells in Triton X-100 and chromatography on wheat-germ-agglutinin-agarose. Phosphorylation of these preparations with [gamma-32P]ATP in the presence or absence of insulin resulted in 32P incorporation exclusively into phosphotyrosine residues. Serine kinase activity towards the insulin receptor was reconstituted by adding extracts of Fao cells. Prior exposure of the cells to insulin stimulated serine kinase activity towards the insulin receptor in extracts 7.2-fold. A receptor serine kinase activity enhanced by treatment of cells with cyclic AMP analogues was also retained in the reconstituted system. In the second system, insulin receptor and insulin-sensitive serine kinase activity towards the insulin receptor were co-purified from human placenta. The protocol involved preparation of membranes, before solubilization and chromatography on wheat-germ-agglutinin-agarose, by using gentle procedures designed not to disrupt a potentially labile association between the insulin receptor and the serine kinase. Serine kinase activity in these preparations towards the insulin receptor was stimulated up to 10-fold by insulin, and the stoicheiometry of serine phosphorylation was estimated to be approx 0.8 mol/mol of insulin receptor for phosphorylations performed in the presence of insulin. Thus a preparation of insulin receptor is described for the first time that is phosphorylated to high stoicheiometry on serine in an insulin-dependent manner. Conditions that facilitate recovery and assay of serine kinase activity are defined and discussed. These systems provide a basis for characterizing the nature of the insulin-sensitive serine kinase that phosphorylates the insulin receptor, and defining its role in insulin action and control of receptor function.

Effect of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase on insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity

To explain the insulin resistance induced by catecholamines, we studied the tyrosine kinase activity of insulin receptors in a state characterized by elevated noradrenaline concentrations in vivo, i.e. cold-acclimation. Insulin receptors were partially purified from brown adipose tissue of 3-week- or 48 h-cold-acclimated mice. Insulin-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation and tyrosine kinase activity of insulin receptors prepared from cold-acclimated mice were decreased. Since the effect of noradrenaline is mediated by cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, we tested the effect of the purified catalytic subunit of this enzyme on insulin receptors purified by wheat-germ agglutinin chromatography. The catalytic subunit had no effect on basal phosphorylation, but completely inhibited the insulin-stimulated receptor phosphorylation. Similarly, receptor kinase activity towards exogenous substrates such as histone or a tyrosine-containing copolymer was abolished. This inhibitory effect was observed with receptors prepared from brown adipose tissue, isolated hepatocytes and skeletal muscle. The same results were obtained on epidermal-growth-factor receptors. Further, the catalytic subunit exerted a comparable effect on the phosphorylation of highly purified insulin receptors. To explain this inhibition, we were able to rule out the following phenomena: a change in insulin binding, a change in the Km of the enzyme for ATP, activation of a phosphatase activity present in the insulin-receptor preparation, depletion of ATP, and phosphorylation of a serine residue of the receptor. These results suggest that the alteration in the insulin-receptor tyrosine kinase activity induced by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase could contribute to the insulin resistance produced by catecholamines.